Violin that played as Titanic sank to go on sale

LONDON (AP) - It's a poignant scene familiar to anyone who has watched "Titanic" - as the ship slides into the icy waters, musicians perform for the passengers, playing with stoic resolve until the final hour.

None of the musicians survived in the 1912 disaster in the North Atlantic, but a violin believed to be the one played by bandmaster Wallace Hartley will now go on auction.

"It is just a remarkable piece of history," said Andrew Aldridge, of auctioneer Henry Aldridge and Son. "I have been an auctioneer for 20 years, but I have never seen an item that brings out this degree of emotion in people before."

The auction house, which specializes in Titanic memorabilia, expects the violin to fetch more than 200,000 pounds (US$323,300) when it goes on sale Saturday.

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